Alice in Wonderland (1903, 10 mins): the first screen
version of Lewis Carroll's classic• Alice in Label Land (1974, 12 mins): animated COI film by
Richard Taylor• Stille Nacht II: Are We Still Married? (1992, 3 mins): first
of the Quay Brothers Alice-inspired short music film• Stille Nacht IV: Can't Go Wrong Without You (1993, 3 mins):
Quay Brothers second Alice-inspired short music film•
34-page illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays
by Claire Kitson, Philip Strick, bios and an interview with
Svankmajer

Description: Czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer s Alice (1988)
is a creepy and disturbing adaptaion of Lewis Carroll's
perennial literary classic, and perhaps the most faithful
the original work. Combining a live-action Alice (Kristýna
Kohoutová) with a Wonderland filled with threatening
stop-motion characters, Svankmajer s deliberately crude style
of animation, use of close-ups, and rich design work lend
the film a pervading sense of unease and a menacing
dream-logic which marries a sly visual wit with piercing
psychological insight.

The Film:

At once far more faithful to its source material than the popular Disney
version, and farther from it in tone than one might ever imagine, master
Czech animator Jan Svankmajer’s Alice (Neco z Alenky) is a memorable and
unique film experience, that feels strangely unlike anything else you’ve
seen, even when it’s at its most strangely familiar. Filmed in a
decaying Wonderland that is filled with creatures that are as scary as
they are surreal, the movie turns Carroll’s novel even more explicitly
into an examination of a young girl’s psyche. The first moments of the
film reveal the novel’s opening, in which Alice lounges on a riverbank
with her bookish sister, as an imaginary construct, and the rest of the
story’s adventures take on an acute sadness as a result.

What the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer does in "Alice" seems more akin
to alchemy than moviemaking. His is an art of dark conjuring, brought to
life more by the wave of a wand than the slap of a clapper board.

Anyone who's ever slept in the same room with a larger-than-normal-sized
doll will have some idea of the atmosphere of vague dread in "Alice."
The film begins with the words, "Now you will see a film for children.
Perhaps." They're recited by a pretty blond child (Kristy'na Kohoutova')
with large intelligent eyes and a willful expression. The child is
surrounded by her toys, some bits of food left over from tea, drawings
and other everyday items, all scattered in disarray.

Image : NOTE:The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.

Alice
by Jan Svankmajerappears very smooth and clean
on
Blu-ray
from the BFI. The image is bright and detailed but
without much texture. Depth is not a notable feature but
overall it still looks quite stunning at times. It is
described as being scanned at 2K from the original interpositive
held in Prague. BFI used MTI software to remove dirt,
scratches and warps. This
is dual-layered with a high bitrate. Colors (reds), detail and
contrast (via earthy browns) are hallmarks.
This
Blu-ray
gives a consistently clean appearance. Visually the
film is a treat and the 1080P transfer adds to the appeal. A
lot of fans will be impressed with the presentation.

Looks
like the exact same video transfer - from the same BFI
restoration It starts with this:

Transferred at
about the same bitrate.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Audio :

Alice is
not overflowing with dialogue - Svankmajer's films are al highly visual
- but the BFI have added a linear PCM English stereo DUB at 2304 kbps
for those who might wish to watch that way. I think it's a good idea but
purists still have the option of the original Czech at exactly the same
lossless uncompressed rendering. There are some effects that come
through with the intended depth. English subtitles are available and m

y Momitsu
has identified
it as being a region FREE disc playable on
Blu-ray
machines worldwide.

Unfortunately only the
English DUB is included (?!?) transferred at the same level as the BFI.
and there are optional English subtitles. It is region 'A'-loked.

Extras :

There are some
Alice-inspired shorts included as supplements on the
Blu-ray.
First we get Cecil M. Hepworth and Percy Stow's 1903 Alice in
Wonderland which turns out to be the first screen version of Lewis
Carroll's classic. It lasts about 10-minutes. Next is a 12-minute
animated COI film by Richard Taylor from 1973 entitled Alice in Label
Land. The last two are by the Quay Brothers from the early 90s - Stille
Nacht II: Are We Still Married? the first of their Alice-inspired
short music films, and Stille Nacht IV: Can't Go Wrong Without You
- the second. These are cool extras and very amusing to see after the
Svankmajer feature. There is also a 34-page illustrated booklet with
newly commissioned essays by Claire Kitson, Philip Strick, bios and an
interview with Svankmajer. This is a 'Dual format' release with a DVD
included also with the the Czech director's 1988's Alice on it.

None - except some First Run Features Previews and a FRF cover gallery.

BFI - Region FREE -
Blu-ray

First Run Features
- Region 'A' - Blu-ray

BOTTOM LINE:
Lewis Carroll's
Alice is a perfect choice for Svankmajer's imaginative style.
It is both amusing and hypnotic. BFI have put together a
great
Blu-ray package, in my opinion. Such a cool viewing experience to own and
enjoy in hi-def. We certainly recommend!

Easy-sneezy - the Region FREE BFI all the way!

Gary Tooze

May 20th, 2011

April 11th, 2014

About the Reviewer:
Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film
since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was
around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my
horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out
new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500
DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my
discussion Listserv for furthering my film
education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver.
Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our
Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction.